Transcript Assessing foreign qualifications: examples and practice Seminar on the recognition of qualifications Baku, 22 April 2005 Gunnar Vaht Head of the Estonian ENIC/NARIC.

Assessing foreign qualifications:
examples and practice
Seminar on the recognition of qualifications
Baku, 22 April 2005
Gunnar Vaht
Head of the Estonian ENIC/NARIC
Differences in higher education systems
• Differences
– access requirements
• general secondary education; vocational qualifications, preparatory year; state
examinations; Bachelor
Doctor
– degree structures
• one-tier; two-tier; multi-tier structures
– type of institutions
• university-type; non-university type; mixed; binary
– nominal duration
– credit systems/marking systems
– names of degrees and other qualifications
• same or similar name of degree may have different content and outcome
– graduation requirements
– FAIR ASSESSMENT AND RECOGNITION - based on assessment of
learning outcomes
Diversity of names of qualifications
• Baccalaureat, Bachiller, Bakalaureus, Bachelor, Bacharel
• Master, Maisteri, Maestro, Meester, Magister, Maitrise,
Magistere, Mestre, Magisterexamen
• Licencie, Licenciado, Licence, Lizentiat, Lisensiaatti
• Kandidaat, Kandidaatti, Candidatus, Candidat, Kandidat
nauk
• Diplomado, Diplomirani, Diplom, Diploma di Specialista,
Diploma Universitarion, Diploma de…
• Laurea, Ptychio, Egyetemi oklevel, Gradue,
Akademski, Doctorandus
Terminology
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academic (degree, education)
degree
university-type, non-university type
qualification
undergraduate-graduate-postgraduate
professional degree, professional doctorate
college, institute
Recognition problems
• Domination of assessment and recognition
practices based on the name of degree
– Bachelor, Baccalaureat, Bachiller etc are not corresponding
degrees
– Master, Maisteri, Maitrise, Magister are not equivalent
qualifications
• Misunderstanding or incorrect interpretation of
levels
– Bachelor-Master indicates the levels and does not mean the named
degrees
– undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate may have different
meanings and vary in the systems
Recognition
• Academic recognition
– the recognition of a qualification for the purpose of
further studies. Main task is to assess whether the
applicant is capable of continuing studies in the chosen
direction and at the chosen level.
• Professional recognition
– the recognition of a qualification for the purpose of
employment in a certain profession. Main task is to
found out whether the knowledge and professional
skills of the applicant are sufficient to pursue a
particular profession.
• de jure - regulated professions; de facto - non-regulated
Legal instruments
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Conventions
Declarations
Directives
Bilateral or multilateral agreements
International recommendations
National legal acts
Internal regulations
The purpose of assessment of
foreign qualification
• Higher education institution
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in admission to HEI
in continue of studies on next stage
in transfer of credits
employment of teacher candidates
• Employer
– what is the level of qualification
• higher- or vocational qualification?
• what is a speciality?
• is the degree at master´s level?
Assessment criteria - access
qualifications
• I Assessment of institution
– acceptance of the institution and curricula by competent authority of home
country
– in case of international qualification - is it awarded by the official
international organisation (for example - IBO)
– in case of “overseas” qualification - is it officially established and
approved by the competent authorities
• II Assessment of qualification
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type of curricula (general, specialised or vocationally oriented)
(nominal duration)
subjects, content and amount
results of studies, examinations, marks; central level examination(s)?
status of qualification and rights in home country (is the qualification
eligible to higher education)
Assessment criteria - higher
education qualifications
• I Assessment of institution
– type of institution - HEI or vocational school, university of professional
HEI, private or public, etc
– quality assurance/accreditation
– status and recognition of institution in home country
• II Assessment of qualification
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access requirements (previous education)
field of study - specialisation
content (subjects), practice, research, graduation requirements
nominal duration, capacity of study program - number of credits
access to further studies
professional status/rights in labor market
– Learning outcomes
Outcome of assessment
• Recommendation for recognition
• comparison, the corresponding qualification
• access to the same rights as to the holders of
national corresponding qualification
Assessment procedure
• Information to applicants
– acknowledgment of the receipt of their application
– standardised information on the procedure and criteria
for the assessment of qualification (required documents,
translations, principles and criteria of assessment, fee,
time, status of the evaluation statement)
– advice applicants about the possibilities and procedures
for submitting application
– information on educational systems and legal acts, on
principles of recognition
Translations
• Acceptance of as much languages as possible without
translations
• Many countries or institutions issues the documents
(diplomas, transcripts, Diploma Supplement) in two
languages
• As a rule, titles of foreign qualifications should be
provided in the original language, without translation
– For example the degrees “Bakalaureus”, “Master” and
“Doctorandus” from different higher education systems are
corresponding qualifications. The result of translations may give a
wrong value and recognition decision to the qualification
Translations
• PROBLEMS
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direct translations of terminology
terminology is not correct
additions in the translations
omissions in the translations
general quality of translations is insufficent
Assessment of transnational
qualifications
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Program articulation (joint degrees)
Branch campuses in other territory
Franchising
Off-shore institutions (no “parent”
institution, but belong to the educational
system of another country)
• distance learning
• virtual arrangements
Transnational activities and
assessment of qualifications
• Quality assurance
• Many “international” or “foreign” programs at
national HEI and promotion of foreign degree BA, MSc, MBA etc
• Joint study programs and joint degrees
• “European” or “International” universities
(College of Europe, Central European University,
European University)
• Non-recognised “studies” at diploma mills
Fraudulent documents
• Diploma mills (no study program, no license, no study,
earn degree on 48 hours!)
• Incompetent institutions (legal institution but offer
education at the level with no license (higher education
program at training or consultation centre)
• Licensed but not accredited (quality assured)
• Unofficial degrees (recognised HEI, but degree awarded
against the national legislation framework)
• Forgeries
• Altered credentials or credentials filled incorrectly